


The Most Wonderful Time of The Year

by accordingtomel



Category: Among Us (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Christmas, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Gift Exchange, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:55:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28220511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/accordingtomel/pseuds/accordingtomel
Summary: Corpse has never been a fan of Christmas. It’s not that he has anything against it, per se, but his childhood memories around it are less than stellar. Plus, he’s spent more Christmases alone than around anyone else. So, it usually doesn’t mean much to him, and he typically doesn’t bother to celebrate it.This year, though, things are different for the first time in longer than Corpse can remember. Because this year Corpse is voluntarily attending a Christmas Eve party.
Relationships: Corpse Husband/Sykkuno (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 342
Collections: Corpsekkuno Fic Exchange: Holidays 2020 edition!





	The Most Wonderful Time of The Year

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JHopeissoOMG](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JHopeissoOMG/gifts).



> Well, this was super fun to write. JHopeissoOMG, I hope you enjoy this fic. I loved all your prompts so much that I tried to incorporate a few of them into the story. These two continue to make my heart happy. I hope you enjoy Christmas fluff, because that's basically all this is.
> 
> Huge thanks to adelagia for the quick and efficient beta. I'm so lucky to have a friend that will literally beta anything for me in any fandom ever, so thank you for that!
> 
> Also, huge thanks to Corpse and Sykkuno for literally having the most wholesome and delightful friendship I've quite possibly ever seen in my entire life, and for making this miserable year so much better for me. Please keep loving and supporting each other :)
> 
> Sorry for the overall cheesiness of the title, but it looks like I used up all my creativity on writing the actual fic itself. As always, thanks so much for reading, and I hope you enjoy!

Corpse has never been a fan of Christmas. It’s not that he has anything against it, per se, but his childhood memories around it are less than stellar. Plus, he’s spent more Christmases alone than around anyone else. So, it usually doesn’t mean much to him, and he typically doesn’t bother to celebrate it.

This year, though, things are different for the first time in longer than Corpse can remember. Because this year Corpse is voluntarily attending a Christmas Eve party.

After a considerable amount of debating as to whether or not he should even risk taking a ride sharing service, Corpse finally decides to just fuck it. It’s Christmas, and taking a Lyft to the party will still probably be easier than driving himself. At least this way he can’t talk himself out of it, turn around, and go back home again, tempting of a thought as that may be. He can’t drink because of his medications, but the nerves he feels at attending the party are enough to make driving himself a poor decision. And thankfully, his Lyft driver seems very disinterested in trying to engage Corpse in any sort of conversation.

There have been numerous times over the last few days, and especially in the last few hours, where Corpse has wondered just what the hell he’s doing and why he even agreed to make this trek in the first place. Yes, it will be fun, and yes even Corpse is getting tired of spending time alone. But on the other hand, he will be putting himself into a situation that grants him little, if any, control. And that’s a frightening thought, especially for someone like him.

Of course, almost as if it were planned, his phone chooses that moment to alert him to a series of recent notifications.

**Sykkuno (5:04 pm)**  
_let me know when you’re close. i’ll come out and meet you so you don’t have to go in alone._

**Sykkuno (5:04 pm)**  
_assuming that you want me to, of course. which, uh, if you don’t that’s totally fine too. just let me know._

**Sykkuno (5:05 pm)**  
_i’m really excited to finally meet in person though :)._

Corpse smiles down at his phone, warmth flowing through his body. It’s been a few weeks since Sykkuno started texting him, but it’s one of the best things to ever happen to Corpse. At least lately. He’s so funny and clever, and every text that he gets from Sykkuno just makes Corpse’s day feel that much better. It doesn’t overpower the nerves he feels, hands still shaking despite his best efforts, but it does ease some of the tension, knowing he’s going to be seeing Sykkuno soon.

When the invitation had first been offered, Corpse admittedly had been hesitant. He was beyond grateful for this whole new group of friends that he’d been blessed with in an otherwise hellish year, and adored them all with his whole heart. But there were going to be _a lot_ of people, even by Corpse’s standards. In addition to Rae and Poki and their household, the members of Offline TV were coming over, as well as Edison, Leslie, Peter, and a few others. Everyone had been self-isolating for the past two weeks in order to make it happen, but it was still a lot.

The idea of being surrounded by so many people (friends or otherwise), especially after Corpse had spent the vast majority of this past year holed up by himself in his apartment, was an overwhelming thought at best. Which is why when Rae had extended the initial invitation, Corpse agreed to think on it, because he genuinely did appreciate the offer. But even then, he had already been planning an excuse for why he couldn’t attend. 

But then Sykkuno -- sweet, wonderful, _amazing_ Sykkuno -- had texted him in excitement about the prospect of them meeting, and that had essentially been that. Corpse was absolutely helpless to resist Sykkuno in any way, shape or form, and ten minutes later, Rae was providing him with all the details of said gathering.

Corpse smiles again, and stares out at the passing traffic, which is considerably thinner than usual. Normally, Christmas Eve would be a lot busier, but this year the pandemic has seemingly kept many more people indoors, or at least inside their own homes.

When they’re a few minutes from the house, Corpse pulls out his phone and shoots off a quick text.

**Corpse (5:23 pm)**  
_the driver says we’re a couple minutes away!_

**Sykkuno (5:24 pm)**  
_awesome, i’ll start making my way outside then. see you soon!!_

The next few minutes stretch on for what feels like an eternity, and then Corpse’s Lyft driver is finally, _finally_ pulling up to the house. He grabs his duffle bag off the seat beside him and mutters a quick thanks before the Lyft driver is peeling off into the night.

It’s a crisp evening, cool by even LA standards, and Corpse wishes he’d thought to bring a pair of gloves. He shoves his hands into the pockets of his jacket and takes a moment to survey the outside of the house while he waits for Sykkuno. It’s large, but unassuming, and the Christmas lights dangling from the roof give it a more lived-in feeling than some of the other houses on the block.

Corpse pulls his phone out of his pocket to check the time when he hears someone call his name.

“Corpse!” 

It’s been dark for hours now, but the street is well lit. Sykkuno isn’t running to him, per se, but it’s a near thing as he jogs down the driveway. His smile is so bright and beautiful it could be its own independent source of light, and Corpse grins in response. How could he not?

“Hey Sykkuno,” he says, almost shyly, as Sykkuno comes to stop in front of him.

He looks good ( _damn good_ ), in dark washed jeans and a black and grey long-sleeved t-shirt. His hair has grown out a little, but he’s spiked it up a bit today, and Corpse can’t help but find it incredibly charming.

“Hey, come here,” Corpse says, dropping his duffle bag to the ground and opening his arms. Sykkuno hesitates for just a moment, as if he’s not entirely sure that Corpse actually wants to hug him, before stepping forward into his embrace. He wraps his arms around Sykkuno and squeezes, smiling as he feels Sykkuno squeeze back. They’re nearly the same height, which makes it easier to press himself closer. So he does.

Normally, Corpse isn’t one for a lot of physical affection with people, unless they’re close friends, and especially with people he’s never technically met before. But it feels different with Sykkuno, like he’s known him for so much longer than he actually has. It feels good. Right, even. Sykkuno hugs like he does everything else: with sincerity, love, and a slight hint of awkwardness. It’s a good hug, and Corpse feels his face hurt with the intensity of his smile.

It feels simultaneously like both hours and no time at all has passed when Sykkuno finally pulls away. Corpse misses the warmth of him immediately, but decides not to ponder too hard on that thought for the moment.

“How was your trip?”

“Boring and uneventful, mostly,” Corpse admits, reaching for his bag and slowly following Sykkuno back towards the house. “But the driver didn’t try to talk to me, at least, so I’ll take it.”

Sykkuno chuckles. “You got here faster than I was expecting.”

“Yeah, me too, actually. It kinda feels dumb that we haven’t met up sooner.”

“Hey, we’re gonna go around back, if you’re okay with that?” Sykkuno glances back at Corpse and gestures to the side of the house, where they start walking. “The guest room is closer to the back door and I, uh, figured... maybe you’d want to drop your stuff off first? Before, you know, meeting everyone.”

Ah, right. That was thoughtful of him.

(Corpse may or may not be a little in love already.)

“That would be nice, actually. I knew you’d take good care of me, Sykkuno.”

The sound of Sykkuno’s laugh is like music to his ears, and far nicer to hear in person than through a Discord call or over the phone. Sykkuno opens the back door for Corpse and gestures for him to enter. 

Almost immediately Corpse’s senses are hit with all kinds of sounds and smells. Christmas music plays in the background and the sounds of talking and laughter filter all the way to them. There are too many competing scents to distinguish any one in particular, but it smells amazing. He’d been assured by more than one person that they had all the food covered. All Corpse needed to do was show up. Still, he had some sugar cookies that he’d made yesterday wrapped in his duffle bag.

“This is the bathroom that we can use, apparently. Or, at least that’s what Rae told me.” Sykkuno gestures to a door on the right.

“Cool.”

“And this is the guest bedroom.”

Corpse follows Sykkuno into the room, taking in their new surroundings. It’s a simple room, but spacious for a guest bedroom. There’s a small desk on the right side of the room and a little blue couch against the back wall. A queen sized bed is tucked into the left corner of the room, with a tall dresser sitting opposite the couch. There’s already an overnight bag on the couch, so Corpse places his bag at the foot of the bed and then turns back to Sykkuno. 

“So, uh-- there’s only one bed. As you can probably see. But don’t worry, because I’ll take the couch,” Sykkuno announces.

Corpse frowns at said couch. “The couch is super small though.”

“It’s fine. I’ve slept on it before. I don’t mind.”

“There’s no way you’d fit on there.”

“It’s not the most comfortable,” Sykkuno admits with a little smile. “But I’m happy to take it if it means I can stay the night with my friends. Besides, I’m shorter than you, so it makes sense.”

Corpse bursts out laughing. “Sykkuno, you’re literally like an inch shorter than me, not a foot.”

“Even still. The couch would be terrible for your back.”

“It wouldn’t be any better for yours,” Corpse feels the need to point out, since apparently Sykkuno only ever thinks about everyone else but never himself. “Look, we can just share the bed. It’s more than big enough for the both of us. As long as, ah... as long as you’re, like, cool with that, of course.”

Sykkuno’s eyes widen just a fraction. “Oh, uh, yeah. That’s fine.” He clears his throat and smiles. “So, um, are you ready to go out there? Everyone is super excited to meet you.”

Shit. That’s right. The last few minutes have been filled with such Sykkuno-induced bliss that Corpse almost forgot that he’s about to be in a room full of people for the first time in a really long time. They’re friends of his, but it doesn’t change the sudden spike of anxiety that shoots through him. 

“Hey, um, are you okay?” Sykkuno takes a tentative step towards him.

“Yeah.” Corpse lets out a slow breath. “I’m, ah-- it’s a lot. But it’ll be fine. Just give me a sec.”

“I get that. Take all the time you need.”

Corpse nods and closes his eyes, focusing on taking a deep breath (in for four, hold for two, out for eight), like his previous therapist taught him. Inwardly, he tries to focus on the here and now, to remember that he’s surrounded by friends who won’t push him beyond what he can handle, but also that his anxiety is normal, and he can still engage in the things he wants to do in life. Particularly, to be at this party, with people who have become almost like family to him over the past several months. After a few moments of careful, steady breathing, he feels some of the anxiety finally start to lift. Corpse can still feel that his hands are shaking, but otherwise he feels more grounded, more in control.

“I can, uh-- I can, like, hold your hand, if you want?” Sykkuno’s tentative voice cuts through the silence, and Corpse opens his eyes. “I mean, like not to be weird or anything, but, um-- I thought maybe it could help you feel less nervous?”

The offer is so sweet, and so utterly Sykkuno, that Corpse doesn’t even know what to say for a moment. Unfortunately, Sykkuno seems to take that in the wrong way.

“Sorry, that was probably dumb. Did I make things awkward?”

“No, no, not at all, Sykkuno,” Corpse rushes to reassure him. “I just wasn’t expecting you to say that.”

“Okay, well-- I’m ready whenever you are. But take your time.”

Sykkuno looks at the door, then back at Corpse, his right hand turned so his palm faces the ceiling. Corpse only hesitates a moment before slipping his hand into Sykkuno’s and following him out the door.

***

Meeting everyone is less stressful than he would have initially expected it to be.

His presence isn’t immediately noticed until Sykkuno leads them into the kitchen where Poki, Leslie and Ray are mixing drinks.

“Hey guys,” Sykkuno greets softly.

“Oh, Sykkuno, is-- Corpse! You made it!” Rae breaks into a squeal when she sees him, which causes a few people to turn their heads, but not much else.

“Hello, Rae.”

“I’m so happy you’re here,” she says to him with a smile. And then, to Sykkuno, “What the hell, Sykkuno? Why didn’t you tell me he was here?”

“Well, you see-- I was just, uh, I was trying to make sure he felt comfortable with, you know, everything.”

“Aww, that was sweet of you, Sykkuno,” Leslie cuts in. “Corpse, it’s nice to meet you finally. Edison’s been pretty pumped, but I’m not sure where he is right now.”

“Hey Leslie. Pokimane.”

Poki grins. “Corpse! Looking stylish.”

“Ha, um, thanks.”

“You want something to drink?”

“Uh, just water.”

“I can get it for him,” Sykkuno offers and goes to the fridge. “I think I’ll have a water too.”

“You don’t have to have water just because I can’t drink,” Corpse says, though he’s admittedly touched by the gesture.

“No, I know. But I had a couple drinks before you got here. I’m good for now.” Sykkuno hands Corpse a water bottle and keeps one for himself. “Besides, I’m not much of a drinker anyway.”

“Did I hear Corpse?” someone sounding very much like Lily calls out.

“Sykkuno, stop hogging him,” Toast adds, and Sykkuno splutters.

“Ready to meet everyone else?”

Corpse smiles at Sykkuno, even if he can’t see it, and nods. “Lead the way.”

***

Things are going surprisingly well, overall. Most of the people who are at this Christmas gathering are people Corpse has spent a considerable amount of time with online, and he’s been eternally thankful that their easygoing dynamic has translated well in person. He’s had the chance to talk more with Leslie and Edison -- both of whom have become good friends over the past few months -- as well as a few other OTV members that Corpse knew less well before this gathering, like Michael and Brodin.

However, despite the fact that everything is going well, Corpse reaches a point where he’s starting to feel a little overwhelmed. It’s been close to three hours of socializing already, and this is far more than he’s done in person in the past year. So, after excusing himself to use the bathroom, Corpse decides to take a quick break in his makeshift bedroom for a few minutes.

He sinks down on the couch and reaches up to remove his mask, setting it gingerly aside. It’s risky, but he’s pretty sure the only people who would come looking for him are Sykkuno or Rae, and they’ve already seen his face. The air feels cool against his skin, and he takes in a few slow, deep breaths.

A few minutes later, Corpse hears a soft knock on the door.

“You in there, Corpse?”

Sykkuno. Corpse smiles. “Yeah. You can come in if you want.”

The doorknob turns carefully, and then Sykkuno is sliding into the room and pressing the door closed behind him.

“Hey. I, uh-- I noticed you were gone and wanted to make sure you were--. Oh, Jesus, do you want me to look away?”

Corpse laughs. “It’s fine, Sykkuno. You’ve seen my face before.”

“I know. But maybe you didn’t want me to look this time.”

“Hey, I’m the one who told you to come into the room in the first place. You know I trust you, Sykkuno.”

“Yeah-- Yeah, okay. Well...” He gestures somewhat helplessly, and Corpse grins, tilting his head in the direction of the empty spot on the couch next to him. Sykkuno hesitates for a second before crossing the room and taking a seat beside Corpse.

“So, are you doing okay? Do you, like, need to go home or outside or something?”

“No, I’m good, Sykkuno. It’s just--”

“A lot?”

“Yeah.” Corpse smiles wryly. “I mean, I’m happy to be here with everyone. They’re such an amazing group of people. But it, um, also feels a little overwhelming, too, you know?”

“Oh, yeah... I get that. Do you, uh, want me to leave you alone, or--?”

“Not at all. I’m always glad to be talking to you.”

He chances a glance at Sykkuno, who smiles softly, but doesn’t cover his face for once. Corpse is grateful. Sometimes he wishes he could beat up all the assholes who ever made Sykkuno think his smile isn’t as beautiful as it is, and worse -- that it’s something he should have to hide.

They sit in companionable silence for a few minutes. It’s nice. Corpse loves talking to Sykkuno, but it’s also unique for him to find someone that he can also enjoy being quiet with.

A knock at the door eventually startles them, and Corpse feels his heart skip a beat, instinctively glancing over at his mask.

“Hey, are you guys in there?” Rae asks.

“Yeah,” Corpse calls out, fingers closing around his mask and pulling it to rest in his lap.

“Are you decent?” she asks.

Sykkuno sputters as Rae’s laughter spills under the still-closed door.

“Oh my _god_ ,” Corpse breathes out, laughing himself. “You’re the worst.”

“You never know. It’s better to ask than to make assumptions. There are certain things I can’t unsee.”

“Jesus, Rae,” Sykkuno says, still shaking with laughter. 

“I’m coming in,” she says, but gives Corpse ample time to protest before actually opening the door, grinning widely at them as she does.

“Aww, look at you two. So precious.”

Corpse rolls his eyes. “What can we do for you?”

“No pressure, but I wanted to let you know that we’re about ready to start the gift exchange. So, if you want to participate, you should come join us in a few. But, like I say, no pressure. We’re just glad that you were able to join us, Corpse.”

“Yeah, we are,” Sykkuno agrees, in a voice that’s so soft it almost physically hurts.

“Okay, just give me a minute to get my mask on.”

“Cool! I’ll see you in a sec.”

Corpse lets out a slow breath before putting his mask back on his face and turning to face Sykkuno.

“All right, let’s go.”

“Wait.”

“What?”

Sykkuno reaches up, and Corpse stops breathing for a moment as he tugs a small strand of hair out from behind Corpse’s mask. His hand lingers for the briefest of moments before dropping back to his side.

“You, uh-- sorry, you just had a piece of hair. And, um, I--” Sykkuno’s ears turn pink, and Corpse is grateful that the mask is once again covering most of his own face as he feels a flush rise.

“Thank you, Sykkuno, that was very sweet of you.”

Sykkuno ducks his head shyly, and then gestures towards the door. “We should, uh-- we should go. Don’t want to keep everyone waiting.”

Corpse nods, and follows him out the door.

***

The gift exchange goes as most gift exchanges tend to go. They had agreed on bringing neutral gifts that were worth between $45-$50, instead of picking names, since the guest list had only been confirmed in the past couple days. And that way, people could choose at the last minute if they wanted to participate or not. Corpse had weighed the pros and cons, before deciding that he had nothing to lose and purchased a gift.

They end up drawing cards to determine the order of who gets to pick a gift first, with the rule that a gift can only be stolen 3 times before it remains with someone.

Naturally, this leads to several fights very early on.

“I’m gonna steal Peter’s gift,” Edison says.

“What the fuck, man, I literally just got it.”

“Those are the rules,” Toast says. “Take it or leave it.”

“They’re stupid fucking rules though. Shouldn’t there be a rule about not immediately stealing a gift?”

“Edison, you don’t even want that,” Leslie adds.

“How do you know?”

“Because we literally already have one.”

“Okay, but by that logic, so does Peter, then.”

“You’re just targeting me like the little bitch you are,” Peter accuses, pointing a finger in Edison’s general direction.

The whole group bursts into laughter at the shenanigans. Beside him, Corpse feels Sykkuno lean into him slightly as he giggles into his hand, and if he presses back against Sykkuno, it’s no one’s business but his own.

***

In the end, everyone ends up with a gift that they’re generally satisfied with. Corpse was one of the last people to choose, and so all of the perceived ‘best gifts’ had already been stolen. The gift he picks contains a gift basket of baked Christmas treats and various types of chocolate and candies. He can’t have a lot of these types of things, usually, but he’s happy to take the gift anyway.

The best gift of the evening, though, is the fact that Sykkuno’s been pressed up against him for the entirety of the gift exchange, despite the fact that he probably didn’t need to be. So Corpse definitely isn’t complaining.

***

The party starts to wrap up shortly after that point, as Abe, Wendy, Leslie, Edison and Peter all announce they need to be getting home. Sometimes Corpse forgets that other people have families that they like to spend Christmas with.

Corpse lingers for a little while to say good-bye to everyone, but mostly attempts to help tidy up the kitchen with Rae and Janet.

By the time everyone has left and Corpse feels comfortable enough to retreat to his shared bedroom for the night, he’s a mixture of both exhausted and incredibly wound up. He quickly brushes his teeth in the bathroom, and then changes into comfortable sweats and a t-shirt as soon as Sykkuno leaves the room. He doesn’t sleep well at the best of times, and while it had been his suggestion, the idea of sleeping beside Sykkuno the whole night makes his stomach twist in knots. Not in a bad way, but maybe in a way that he doesn’t have the capacity to process right now. Still, he’s sure as hell not going to allow Sykkuno to sleep on the couch. And at least Sykkuno’s presence may help ease some of his anxiety, as Sykkuno often does.

“That was so much fun,” Sykkuno announces after he returns from his own trip to the bathroom. He’s dressed in soft pajama pants and a green t-shirt. Naturally, Corpse thinks he looks fucking adorable.

“It really was.”

“I’m glad you were able to join us tonight, Corpse. It wouldn’t have been the same without you.”

“I’m glad, too.” And he is. He truly is.

Corpse smiles at Sykkuno. And then suddenly he remembers...

“Oh my god, I almost forgot.” Corpse grabs his bag and starts to rummage through it. When he finds what he’s looking for, he turns back to Sykkuno and holds out the package.

“Look, uh-- I know we said we weren’t going to exchange gifts, but...” 

“Oh, Corpse.” Sykkuno giggles softly.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t expect you to get me anything.”

“No, no, I’m just laughing because I may have also done the same thing.”

Suddenly, Sykkuno is also holding a present in his hands, though Corpse has absolutely no idea where he got it from.

“Sykkuno, you didn’t.”

“Looks like I did, though, Corpse. I guess great minds think alike, huh?”

Corpse smiles, and goes to join Sykkuno on the couch, turning so his body is facing him. He hands his gift to Sykkuno, who takes it and gives his own gift to Corpse.

“How do you want to do it?”

“Maybe, uh we could take turns? So we can watch each other?”

“Yeah…” Corpse nods, and pushes down the sudden swell of nerves. “That’s probably a good idea.”

“Okay, you go first, Corpse.”

The present he’s holding in his hands is rather small, and Corpse has no idea what could be inside. The wrapping is a little clumsy, but the design is adorable: black cats wearing a red Christmas hat in front of a solid green background.

“The wrapping paper is sick,” Corpse says. “I don’t even care what’s inside, this is already awesome.”

“I thought you’d like it. I mean, I didn’t like-- I wasn’t purposely trying to find cat wrapping paper or anything. But when I saw it I knew it was the right choice.”

Corpse tucks a finger under a flap of wrapping paper at one end of the package and rips it open. But carefully, so he can preserve some of the paper. It almost looks like a jewelry box, actually. Sykkuno is watching him, a mischievous glint in his eyes, which makes Corpse all the more curious. When he sees what’s inside, he stares for a full five seconds before he starts laughing.

“Holy shit, Sykkuno! Where did you get this?”

It’s a silver chain necklace, sturdy and long, very much the type of thing Corpse would wear. However, that’s not what’s making him laugh so hard. There’s also a charm attached to it that reads _Praise Bingus!_ with a Bingus-like cat in the background. It’s absolutely hilarious, and Corpse is so fucking into the man sitting across from him, he can barely contain himself.

“Well, I mean, if you’re about to suggest that I had it specially made because I couldn’t find what I wanted, and I thought this would make you laugh... Well, then, I’d tell you that you might actually be right.”

“This is amazing! _You’re_ amazing, Sykkuno. Holy shit, I love it so much, thank you.” Corpse can’t stop grinning, and he immediately places the chain around his neck. “How does it look?”

“Good. Really good,” Sykkuno says, smiling shyly. He reaches out to touch the charm that rests in the middle of Corpse’s chest, fingers gently brushing against the metal as Corpse tries not to react to the close proximity. He can’t help but watch the way Sykkuno’s eyelashes flutter when he blinks, and the soft curve of his lips as he says, “I like it on you...”

He’s absolutely magnetic, stunningly gorgeous in every possible way, and Corpse can’t help the involuntary shiver when Sykkuno pulls away. Thankfully, he doesn’t seem to notice.

Corpse gestures towards the gift he brought for Sykkuno and clears his throat. “Okay, it’s your turn now.”

“I’m excited to find out what it is.”

And then, without any further preamble, Sykkuno rips into the gift, eyes alight with happiness. It’s a good look on him.

“Oh! Oh Jesus, is this--” 

Sykkuno holds up the black hoodie, mouth hanging slightly open. Corpse can’t see the front, but he knows what’s written there.

 _I am Corpse_ is written in bold white letters in Corpse’s handwriting across the upper right chest area of the sweatshirt. Beneath that, the words _Oh Jesus_ in light green, in Sykkuno’s own handwriting. It had been one of many of Corpse’s weird requests of Sykkuno over the past month that he’d agreed to without even asking any questions. Hopefully this answers at least one of them, now, though.

“I know you wanted something with rabbit ears, but, uh, I didn’t have enough time to get it ready for you.” Corpse swallows and watches as Sykkuno studies the hoodie. It was perhaps a little bold of him to do something like this, but something told him that it was the right call. “Hopefully you still like this though.”

“Like it? Oh my god, Corpse, this is _so cool_. Like so unbelievably cool!” Sykkuno beams at him before ducking his head and hiding his smile behind his hand shyly. “I can’t believe you made this. Is it, uh, like going to be sold as part of your merch, or...?”

“No, no. This was a one-time piece of merch. Well, technically two times, since I made one for me too. But, uh, yeah.”

“I love it.”

“Really?”

“Yes, of course. Thank you so much. I’m gonna wear this all the time, both on and off stream. Unless you don’t want me to wear it on stream, of course. In which case I definitely won’t.”

“You can wear it whenever you want. I made it specifically for you.”

Sykkuno flips the hoodie around, and for one brief, terrifying moment, Corpse thinks he’s going to take off the t-shirt he’s currently wearing to put on the hoodie. Thankfully -- or not, depending on how he looks at it -- Sykkuno pulls it on over top of the shirt he’s already wearing, thereby preventing Corpse from having a heart attack right in the middle of the guest room of one of his best friends. Surprisingly, it fits him nicely, even with the shirt underneath.

“So, what do you think?”

Corpse takes in the full glory of Sykkuno wearing his specialty merchandise, and warmth floods his chest.

“It looks great. Perfect. Just like you.” Corpse chokes on air when his brain catches up with his mouth, and he sees Sykkuno’s eyes widen in surprise. He almost has a heart attack for the second time in as many minutes.

“Fuck, uh, can we like--”

He doesn’t get to finish his sentence, because suddenly Sykkuno’s mouth is on his, and Corpse realizes rather belatedly that Sykkuno is kissing him, _holy shit_. He instinctively reaches up to cup the side of Sykkuno’s face, but doesn’t even make it there before Sykkuno is pulling back, panic in his eyes.

“Oh, no. I’m so sorry, Corpse, I shouldn’t have done that without asking you.”

“Sykkuno--”

“I can’t believe... I’m so, so sorry, I don’t know what got into me.”

“Sykkuno.”

“If you want, I can just go sleep on the couch downstairs. Or, like, I can call an Uber to come get me. I didn’t mean to ruin our friendship or make you hate me...”

“ _Sykkuno_ ,” Corpse says, throwing in as much fondness and exasperation as he can into that one word. Without thinking too much about it, Corpse reaches up, hands gently cupping the sides of Sykkuno’s face, and he finally meets Corpse’s gaze, the mild look of hysteria in his eyes settling slightly.

“C-Corpse?”

“I need you to listen to me for a second. Do you think you can do that?”

Sykkuno nods, eyes still wide, but he seems to be breathing a little easier.

“Okay good. First of all, you don’t need to apologize for anything, because I’m really glad you kissed me.”

“Uh, okay. That’s, um, that’s good, I think?”

“It is,” Corpse agrees, gently rubbing the pad of his right thumb against the side of Sykkuno’s jaw, before allowing his hands to drop back into his lap. “But you also need to know that even if I hadn’t wanted you to kiss me, I would never hate you, and I could never hate you. Okay?”

“Y-yeah. I’m glad to hear that you don’t hate me.”

“Never.”

“So, is that it, or--?”

“One more thing.” Corpse takes a deep breath and decides to just jump in head first. Sykkuno has already kissed him once, so what has he got to lose at this point? “I would very much like to kiss you again, if you’re okay with that?”

“Oh, uh.” A blush rises on Sykkuno’s cheeks, and Corpse can barely contain the giddy feeling coursing through him. “Yeah. I’d really like that.”

Corpse grins, and leans back in, bringing their mouths together once more. This time, Sykkuno is more bold, pressing into Corpse with a sense of increased urgency. One of Sykkuno’s hands grips his shoulder, while he cards the other through Corpse’s hair. Heat blossoms in his stomach, and his skin feels like it’s burning everywhere Sykkuno is touching him. Corpse slides one hand up to cup Sykkuno’s face while his other hand curls around Sykkuno’s waist in an attempt to pull him closer.

A small gasp slips out of Sykkuno’s mouth, and Corpse uses the opportunity to deepen the kiss, parting his mouth and nipping lightly at Sykkuno’s lower lip. Sykkuno lets out another soft sound, and then he’s pressing in further, tongue slipping into Corpse’s mouth like it belongs there. All of his senses are on fire as he kisses Sykkuno with everything he has, trying to show him just how much he means to Corpse, how much he wants this.

They kiss until neither of them can breathe, and then they part and kiss once more, because now that he’s started kissing Sykkuno, Corpse doesn’t ever really want to stop. And it seems that Sykkuno is on the same page as him. But this is their first kiss, and he doesn’t want to escalate things too quickly before they’ve had a chance to talk and figure out what this means for them. With some measure of reluctance, Corpse finally pulls away from Sykkuno, pressing their foreheads together as they both attempt to catch their breath.

“Holy shit,” Corpse breathes out softly.

“ Yeah... you can say that again.”

“Holy fuck.”

Sykkuno giggles, and Corpse has to lean in to press one final kiss against his lips before sitting back and looking at him properly. His lips are wet and kiss swollen, cheeks stained pink and hair a little wild. Sykkuno looks really fucking good, in all honesty, and Corpse briefly wonders if he looks as fucked up as he feels right now.

“Was that-- was it okay?”

“It was amazing, Corpse. Jesus. You’re a really good kisser.”

“You’re pretty great yourself.”

Instinctively, he reaches down to hold Sykkuno’s hands in his own, heart clenching when Sykkuno gently squeezes back.

“So, we should probably, uh, talk about this or something, huh?” he says.

Corpse nods. “Yeah, I mean-- that was pretty, uh, pretty significant.”

“Yeah. Okay. I agree. But could we maybe talk in the morning? I don’t think I have the mental power to, um, have a productive conversation right now.”

“Do you want to just go to bed? We can talk tomorrow.”

Sykkuno nods and glances over at the bed they’d planned to share earlier. “Are you okay with still, you know-- sharing a bed, after...”

“Why Sykkuno, are you trying to get me to sleep with you?”

“Wha--? N-no, I would never!”

Corpse bursts out laughing. “You’re so fucking cute, oh my _god_. I literally just meant to sleep, though. Nothing else.”

“Oh, um, yeah. I knew that.”

Before he can chicken out, Corpse pushes off the couch and holds out his hand in offering. Sykkuno stares at his hand for a moment before taking it and following Corpse towards the bed. They both take off their new Christmas gifts and place them carefully off to the side. Then, without speaking, they turn down the covers and climb into the bed opposite each other. Corpse waits until Sykkuno seems settled before reaching out and shutting off the lamp on the bedside table, finally plunging them into darkness.

“I know I already said this before,” Sykkuno says sleepily, “But I’m so glad that you came to the party.”

“Yeah, me too. It was definitely one of the best things to happen to me all year.”

As they lay there in bed, facing one another, Sykkuno reaches out and curls his fingers around Corpse’s, leaving their hands interlocked on the bed resting near their chests. And for the first time in a very long time, Corpse feels happy.

“Merry Christmas, Sykkuno.”

“Merry Christmas, Corpse.”

Sleep comes easily to Corpse that night.

**The End.**


End file.
